snacks + cocktails at 41° in Barcelona

8-31-2011 Wed. hot, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- ( at Ohla, Barcelona ) coffee | croissant | fried eggs
COCKTAIL-TIME--- ( at 41° Cocktails & Snacks, Barcelona ) snacks: curried wild rice "worms" ( Gusanitos de arroz salvaje curry ) | fried fish from 41° ( "Piscaito" frito) | crispy spicy tentacles ( Tentaculos picantes) | false pistachios ( Pistachos mimeticos)| air bread with cured Iberian ham ( pan aereo con panceta Iberica) | smoked eel (Nigiri anguila fumada) | white fish ceviche ( Tiradito) || dessert plate: Forest Floor ( Sotobosque) || cocktails: Gin fizz | Manhattan | American beauty | Apocalipto | Dry martini | Alexander

ultra-modern 41°

cocktails within norm

fried fish (fish powder), worms (pop rice)
yolk (processed olive), false pistachio ( reinvented pistachio)

smoked eel ( real eel, false rice)
crispy spicy tentacles ( rice powder, kumchi powder)
air bread with Iberian ham ( all real, just super thin)

cevechi with tiny shallot and sprouts

Forest floor, all sweet

• 41° has association with Adrià brothers of now-closed El Bulli, the food aims to surprise and confuse your eyes, nose, and tongue, in the front line of ultra modern cuisine.
  

into the crowds in Barcelona

8-30-2011 Tue. hot, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- ( at Chateau Saissac ) coffee | croissant | bread and butter | yogurt | orange juice
LATE-LUNCH --- (at a tapas bar in Eixample Esquera, Barcelona) vegetable and potato hash | tomato and clam soup | potato and cod with tomato sauce| croquetas de jamon | beer
DINNER ---( at ZentOnce, Le Meridien Barcelona) cava ( Spanish sparking wine )| bread , olive spread, butter | toast with anchovy cream | octopus with potato | tapas plate ( anchovy, marinated cheese, croquetas de jamon, tuna and potato salad ) | slow-cooked lamb shoulder with potatoes |tortellini with spinach and ricotta filling and creamy green sauce | espresso

all things twisted and curved


random pick tapas, very cheap and very bad


the restaurant is called 111, food is like modern cuisine 101

• cross boarder again to Spain, Barcelona is full of tourists and tourist-traps, in a happy no-worry way. The average level of restaurant food is sub-bar, which means if you do not do your homework ahead, it is likely you will have bad food.
  

Fortress, abbey, and langoustines

8-29-2011 Mon. hot, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- (at Chateau Raissac) coffee | croissant | baguette | butter | jam | yogurt |orange juice
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- grape from vineyard
DINNER --- (at a restaurant in Pages) shellfish plate ( prawn, conch, oyster) | potato and langoustine stew | grilled langoustine and mushroom | bread | wine

Fontfroide Abbey
dinning hall, wine cellar door, hearth, court yard

vineyard in Languedoc

Chateaux Cathares Peyrepertuse ( pierced rock, in Occitan)
a Cathar castle ruin

Peyrepertuse, northern face

inside the fortress


fishing village Bages

shellfish dinner in Bages

• Fortfroide Abbey turns into a museum with some private residence ( same family owned the Chateau Raissac), no more monks.
  
• it is quite a climb to Peyrepertuse, a ruin of Cathar castle ruin in the rugged Languedoc heartland.
  
• the little fishing village Bages has peaceful beach and winding streets. the shellfish dinner is so-so, langoustines here no peer to the ones in Norway.
  

Surf and turf in Languedoc

8-28-2011 Sun. hot, sunny.



BREAKFAST --- ( at the market in Toulouse) coffee | croissant
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- ( at Chateau Raissac in Languedoc ) white wine | nuts
DINNER --- ( in the garden of Chateau Raissac ) white wine | baguette with butter | warm oysters | Moroccan rice | rabbit stew with prune and toasted almond | red wine | cherries with ice cream | chocolate biscuit | coffee

browsing Toulouse


Chateau Raissac


sea of artifacts inside the chateau,
including the bedside chocolates (ceramics)

sleeping in yesterday's glory

wine, wine everywhere
Chateau Raissac has its own vineyard and labels

oysters and rabbit dinner in the garden

• headed east into Languedoc land, the 19th century Chateau Raissac sits outside of Beziers surrounded by vineyard. several bottles of wine are consumed within a few hours. the oyster and rabbit dinner is prepared by Jean and Christine, traditional french with a bit eastern twist. a perfect evening of good food and good conversation with a group Norwegian ladies.
  

French-Nordic lunch outside Toulouse

8-27-2011 Sat. warm, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- ( at Gunilla's house in a village south of Toulouse) sliced cured duck with melon | bread | wine | boiled potatoes | string beans | duck confit with berry sauce| cream hazelnut and almond cake | coffee
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- (at a bar in old-town Toulouse) white wine | chips
DINNER --- ( at the tourist trap plaza in Toulouse ) foie gras with puffy pastry | roasted young pigeon with potatoes | wine

duck confit, potato, and string beans

cake with delicate thin layers

sheep and chicken in the back yard

filling family tree

• had a very good homemade lunch at Gunilla's house in a village south of Toulouse. duck confit is terrific, a great example of slow cooking at home.
• had drinks with friends in a city bar, a good but too short time.
  
• food is badly done in the dinner at the plaza in Toulouse.
  

a Farm kitchen in Pyrenees

8-26-2011 Fri. cool, rain storm to sun.


BREAKFAST --- ( at the farm Loubetas ) coffee | toast | jam | mixed fruit salad
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- mixed drink | nuts
DINNER --- ( at the farm Loubetas ) tomato soup with aged cheese | baked salmon with green sauce ( chive, parsley, garlic, olive oil) | new baby potatoes from garden | french green beans | wine | French country bread | strawberry ice cream with toasted almond and finger cookie | herb tea

a hidden paradise

kids talking in the rain at the farm

a rainy day in St. Bertrand

the farm in evening sun

tomato soup

new potatoes

salmon and green beans

chive green sauce

• the weather has been dramatic, a chilly raining day ended with a brilliant sunset. visited the prehistoric cave Gargas near St. Bertrand de Comminges, some more than 200 hand paintings dated 27,000 years ago.
• back to Myriam's farm kitchen, again a delicious meal, a hearty creamy tomato soup, sweet tender new potatoes, fresh green beans, fish with an incredibly strong flavored green sauce, mainly because the green ingredients are so fresh from the garden.
  

Moules & sardines in Biarritz, French Basque style

8-25-2011 Thu. warm, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- (at Saiaz Gateria) coffee | fruit | milk | toast and jamon Serrano
LUNCH --- ( at a bistro in Biarritz, France) grilled fresh sardines with baked potatoes and fresh mayonnaise | small black mussels in wine garlic sauce | white wine | baguette
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- ( at La Ferme Loubetas in French Pyrenees ) beer
DINNER --- ( at La Ferme Loubetas ) cheese, lettuce and tomato salad | lamb stew with turnip and herbs | French country style bread | wine | cheese plate | cream and fruit dessert | herb tea

• crossed the border to French side of Basque country. Biarritz is very pretty and well-to-do, beautiful beach filled with beautiful people. A random pick resulted in a charming little bistro, the best mussels and sardines have ever had, deep flavored but barely cooked the same time, wondered how it is possible.
• arrived at the the farm Loubetas just above a hamlet Couret d'Asque in French Pyrenees, the driving direction is about two pages long, involving countless turns. it is sort of hidden paradise, incredibly lustrous green dotted with gracious stone farm houses, hills and valleys echoing bells of cows and sheep. We had a cool beer in the garden with Peter, his 6 year old son Remy showing us his live escargot collection in an egg carton. after the sunset we had dinner in the garden with candles, lots of wine and fun conversation about books and food. Myriam made a wonderful meal with lamb from a near-by farm and vegetables from her own garden, French home cooking at its best.
  

Modern cuisine in San Sebastian

8-24-2011 Wed. mild, rain and clouds.


BREAKFAST --- coffee | tea
LUNCH --- ( at Bodegón Alejandro in San Sebastian) gazpacho shots and laced bread chips | chilled marinated anchovies lasagna and vegetable ratatouille with gazpacho cream | creamy rice with baby squid oil and slivers of Idiazabal cheese | grilled hake on potatoes with virgin olive oil and citrus vinaigrette | Iberian veal cheek served on a and bacon terrine with warm roasted pepper sauce | french toast socked in cream and egg yolk, caramelized, and served with fresh cheese ice cream | slightly spicy peach gnocchi with coconut ice cream and vanilla broth || paired wines: Txakoli Bengoetxe D.O. Geteriako Txakolina , Aura D.O. Rueda, Bargorri Crianaza D.O.Ca, Rioja, Vino semi-dulce en casa | sweet liquor | espresso
DINNER --- tea | bread | cheese

gazpacho and lace bread chips

marinated anchovies lasagna, ratatouille, gazpacho cream


creamy rice with baby squid


grilled hake


Iberian veal cheek with potato bacon terrine


french toast

peach gnocchi

sweet liquor

• San Sebastian, a city of Spanish modern cuisine. Bodegón Alejandro is recommended by NY Times, the cooking is creative and food is delicious. The chilled anchovy dish is a genius fusion of Spanish, French and Italian around Mediterranean. The veal cheek dish is in perfect flavor and texture, clean and rich the same time.